Just Car Blog

There was a time when Jeremy Clarkson, like so many other old-school car enthusiasts, absolutely despised electric cars.However, in the near decade since the former Top Gear host’s infamous review of the Tesla Roadster, electric cars have come a long way. So, have Clarkson’s views changed as well?

Mashable recently sat down with the controversial journalist prior to the launch of The Grand Tour’s second season and much to our surprise, Clarkson no longer appears to be vehemently opposed to electric cars, perhaps sensing the inevitable EV revolution.

Quizzed about his thoughts of the 2020 Tesla Roadster, Clarkson said, “I think the world could become kinder, better place, perhaps because of electrical cars. I certainly have no problem with electricity as a means of propulsion.” Yes, those exact words left Clarkson’s mouth.

It remains to be seen what has swayed Clarkson’s views, but we wouldn’t be surprised to hear that the Rimac Concept_One, set to star in the new season of The Grand Tour, may have convinced him.

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In case your idea of a Tesla-badged Shooting Brake is something inherently sporty rather than practical and simply quick in a straight line, you could try this render on for size.As you can see, not a lot of changes were made to the brand new Tesla Roadster in order to turn it into something with more cargo space, and perhaps a little more charisma as well.

All X-Tomi Design had to do was make the roof line a little longer and get it to curb downwards at precisely the right angle that would allow for a wagon-like rear end.

The overall design isn’t too unrealistic. Tesla could have probably built the car as a Shooting Brake if they wanted to, but then it would have defeated the purpose of a “next-gen Roadster”.

Still, if you want to see a real life Tesla Shooting Brake, check out this Model S P90D that’s being converted into a sporty Estate in the UK. The car is expected to feature even better aerodynamics than the Model S sedan, while weighing about the same.

The second-generation Tesla Roadster has been stealing a lot of headlines recently but for the moment, it remains as nothing more than a prototype with some really impressive performance figures attached to it.When it comes to all-electric hypercars that have proven their performance, it is the Rimac Concept_One that has led the charge. Soon, it will be replaced by a new model and it could take the fight directly to the Tesla Roadster.

We first heard about the new hypercar in September and according to Auto Guide, the new Rimac will push the performance boundary.

Currently codenamed the Concept Two, the car will use a new powertrain but it’s not yet known exactly how Rimac will improve on its current battery and electric motor technology. Either way, we can expect to see in excess of the 1,224 hp and 1,180 lb-ft of torque delivered by the Concept_One.

Beyond its performance improvements, Rimac chief operating officer Monika Mikac recently revealed that the new model will also be more comfortable and luxurious than its predecessor.

If the latest reports turn out to be accurate, Tesla is burning through around $480,000 every hour as Elon Musk continues to aggressively expand the company and its electric vehicle plans.According to Bloomberg, the electric carmaker has been spending about $8,000 a minute in recent times and is on track to exhaust its cash pile by August 6, 2018.

While these figures are likely to be reduced when production of the Model 3 ramps up, it is clear that Musk is eager to raise funds for the company following the unveiling of the second-generation Roadster and the Tesla Semi.

Customers looking to purchase one of just 1,000 Roadster Founders Series models are being asked to cough up the full $250,000 asking price as a deposit despite the car not arriving until the turn of the decade. This alone could potentially generate $250 million for Tesla, which, at this rate, are enough for roughly 21 days of spending from the company.

Additionally, it costs $50,000 to place a reservation for the ‘entry-level’ Roadster and $5,000 to secure an order to the Semi. The Semi won’t arrive until 2019 and the Roadster in 2020, but given Tesla’s history of delays, these dates could be pushed back.

In a letter to shareholders on November 1, Tesla was adamant that it has enough money to produce 5,000 Model 3s each week by the end of March.

However, senior Bloomberg Intelligence analyst Kevin Tynan believes the company will need to raise at least $2 billion in capital by mid-2018 in order to achieve Musk’s ambitious targets.

Now more than ever, it seems as though car enthusiasts are continually claiming the designs of new vehicles copy the styling of existing vehicles.

For example, many online have indicated that the front of the new Aston Martin Vantage looks just like a slightly more aggressive Mazda MX-5 Miata.Unquestionably the most head-turning new car released in the past week is the Tesla Roadster and it too has failed to escape comparisons with other cars. More specifically, a car design student named Eriquin G. emailed us asserting that the design of the Roadster closely mimics that of the Honda NSX.

The designer points out a number of similarities between the duo. For starters, both the Roadster show car and the NSX utilize similar wheels, although the Tesla does have a few more spokes. Elsewhere, we can see a similar body line just after the front wheel arch, reaching back along the doors. The rear side windows of the duo also bear some resemblance to each other.

Looking from above, the curiosities continue. Both the Roadster and NSX feature hoods with tapered lines stretching down towards the front bumper. The shape of the rear quarter panels is also quite similar, although the Tesla is slightly more curvaceous and uses fewer straight lines than the NSX.

In this writer’s opinion, the two do look quite similar but not to a worrying extent and certainly nowhere near the blatant rip-offs that have emerged from China in recent years.

Let us know what you think in the comments below. Do you think Tesla copied the NSX, another production car or is it an original design that looks like no other on the road?

Now more than ever, it seems as though car enthusiasts are continually claiming the designs of new vehicles copy the styling of existing vehicles.

For example, many online have indicated that the front of the new Aston Martin Vantage looks just like a slightly more aggressive Mazda MX-5 Miata.Unquestionably the most head-turning new car released in the past week is the Tesla Roadster and it too has failed to escape comparisons with other cars. More specifically, a car design student named Eriquin G. emailed us asserting that the design of the Roadster closely mimics that of the Honda NSX.

The designer points out a number of similarities between the duo. For starters, both the Roadster show car and the NSX utilize similar wheels, although the Tesla does have a few more spokes. Elsewhere, we can see a similar body line just after the front wheel arch, reaching back along the doors. The rear side windows of the duo also bear some resemblance to each other.

Looking from above, the curiosities continue. Both the Roadster and NSX feature hoods with tapered lines stretching down towards the front bumper. The shape of the rear quarter panels is also quite similar, although the Tesla is slightly more curvaceous and uses fewer straight lines than the NSX.

In this writer’s opinion, the two do look quite similar but not to a worrying extent and certainly nowhere near the blatant rip-offs that have emerged from China in recent years.

Let us know what you think in the comments below. Do you think Tesla copied the NSX, another production car or is it an original design that looks like no other on the road?

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If Tesla’s bold acceleration claims for the second-generation Roadster come to fruition, the electric sports car will be the quickest accelerating production car ever built.Tesla asserts that the Roadster will hit 60 mph in just 1.9 seconds, 100 mph in 4.2 seconds, and complete the quarter mile in 8.8 seconds. However, are these ambitious times even possible?

To find out, Engineering Explained set about discovering how fast a car can accelerate with street-legal production tires.

Last year, the YouTuber asserted that with current tire technology, no production car could reach 60 mph quicker than 2.05 seconds. However, in the 12 months since then, tire technology has improved and will probably continue to improve through to the Roadster’s launch, meaning a 1.9 second time isn’t an impossibility.

Another interesting take away from recent talk about the Roadster is the possibility of it using rocket technology. Elon Musk hinted at this on Twitter and theoretically, the sports car could accelerate to 60 mph in 0.01 seconds, as long as the rockets used had enough thrust.

Knowing that Tesla’s claims are possible, it’s now just up to the company to ensure the production model achieves them.

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If Tesla’s bold acceleration claims for the second-generation Roadster come to fruition, the electric sports car will be the quickest accelerating production car ever built.Tesla asserts that the Roadster will hit 60 mph in just 1.9 seconds, 100 mph in 4.2 seconds, and complete the quarter mile in 8.8 seconds. However, are these ambitious times even possible?

To find out, Engineering Explained set about discovering how fast a car can accelerate with street-legal production tires.

Last year, the YouTuber asserted that with current tire technology, no production car could reach 60 mph quicker than 2.05 seconds. However, in the 12 months since then, tire technology has improved and will probably continue to improve through to the Roadster’s launch, meaning a 1.9 second time isn’t an impossibility.

Another interesting take away from recent talk about the Roadster is the possibility of it using rocket technology. Elon Musk hinted at this on Twitter and theoretically, the sports car could accelerate to 60 mph in 0.01 seconds, as long as the rockets used had enough thrust.

Knowing that Tesla’s claims are possible, it’s now just up to the company to ensure the production model achieves them.

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Just a couple of days after Tesla shocked the world by unveiling the second-generation Roadster with unprecedented performance figures, Elon Musk has taken to Twitter to indicate this is just the start of what’s to come for the new sports car.In a Tweet published on November 20, the outspoken entrepreneur indicated that a special upgrade package for the new Tesla Roadster could borrow rocket technology and possibly fly short distances.

Yes, you read that correctly. Musk said it is “certainly possible” to make the Roadster part supercar-slayer and part flying car. “Just a question of safety. Rocket tech applied to a car opens up revolutionary possibilities,” he added.

As always, it’s important to take anything Musk says with a pinch of salt. After all, he is no stranger to expressing his ambitious goals, even though they are often far beyond the realm of what most people consider reasonable. For example, he thinks humans and AI could eventually merge to create AI-human symbiotes.

As it stands, the new Tesla Roadster, unveiled in entry-level guise, is already quite bewildering. The automaker claims it will have three electric motors, a 200-kWh battery pack and be capable of accelerating to 60 mph (96 km/h) in just 1.9 seconds, 100 mph (160 km/h) in 4.2 seconds and sprint to over 250 mph (402 km/h).

Not saying the next gen Roadster special upgrade package *will* definitely enable it to fly short hops, but maybe …

Certainly possible. Just a question of safety. Rocket tech applied to a car opens up revolutionary possibilities.

Did you like the new Tesla Roadster so much that you want one of the first ones in 2020? That’ll be $250,000 up front, like right now, thank you very much. Tesla has opened the reservation books for both the Roadster and the Semi truck but unlike the Model 3 pre-order scheme, the deposits are understandably larger.

Pre-order reservations for the new Tesla Semi are available now for a $5,000 deposit, with Musk saying that production will start in less than two years.

As for the new Roadster, the deposit rises to $50,000. Nothing strange here, we’ve seen a lot of sports cars and supercars demanding a hefty deposit in order to get you in front of the line but that’s where Tesla is going a different route.

Tesla quotes $200,000 for the base version of the new Roadster, where the $50k deposit applies; if you truly want one of the first examples on the road in 2020, you’ll have to opt for the special ‘Founder’s Edition’ version which is applied for the first 1,000 Roadsters. The cost for that one is $250,000 but securing one means paying Tesla upfront the full price of the car right now.

Some might say that Tesla’s move to ask for the whole $250k for a car that theoretically will arrive in three years at best is a bit of a stretch, especially since the company has made a reputation of missing its targets consistently. Other might argue that this will be basically a free, zero-interest loan to a company that burns cash at an alarming rate. After all, if Tesla does sell all 1,000 Founder’s Edition Roadsters, it’ll be a $250 million capital raise for the company.

With the company currently struggling to kickstart mass production of the Model 3 -essentially the most crucial of their models- the new cash flow coming from the deposits of their two new models could be used towards solving some of their “production bottlenecks” while the hype of the two new models might drive once again the value of the company up in the stock market.

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It’s one thing to read about a new car’s specs, and a completely different story to experience it firsthand.However, in the case of the all-new Tesla Roadster, most of us won’t get near it until early next decade, so the only way to check it out right now is by watching these short video posted online.

One of the clips bears Electrek’s name, and it shows Tesla Motors’ sportiest vehicle ever doing a couple of short accelerations, shot via a 360-degree camera, so that you can adjust the angle.

To those that missed our initial coverage of the second generation Tesla Roadster, we will remind you that it packs a 200kWh battery pack. Zero to 60mph (96km/h) takes just 1.9sec, or approximately half a second faster than a Bugatti Chiron, and its digital speedometer will show 100mph (160km/h) after 4.2sec.

Moreover, the initial numbers also reveal that it can run down the quarter mile in 8.9sec, before topping out at over 250mph (402km/h).

This impressive performance comes at a steep price, as the new Tesla Roadster is said to start at $200,000.

Tesla has used the unveiling of its long-awaited Semi to shock the world and unveil the second-generation Roadster, a car which will be the sportiest vehicle every created by the electric automaker.Elon Musk has been promising a new Roadster for a number of years and has just announced that it has arrived. Like the original, it is a sleek two-door but unlike its predecessor, is totally bespoke and adopts a seriously sexy design.

Incredibly, the base second-generation Tesla Roadster will reportedly reach 60 mph (96 km/h) in just 1.9 seconds and reach 100 mph (160 km/h) in a mere 4.2 seconds. What’s more, it will run down the quarter mile in 8.9 seconds thanks to a 200-kWh battery pack and apparently hit over 250 mph.

According to Musk, the new Tesla Roadster has a 620-mile range and despite what the images may suggest, it does have four seats, however, the rear seats are exceptionally small.

From a design standpoint, the new Roadster is a dramatic departure from any other Tesla before it. The front end is characterized by a pair of slim LED headlights and typical Tesla curved body panels, while the rear looks more like a radical concept car than anything remotely close to a production model. Among the most intriguing design elements are wafer-thin taillights and an aggressive diffuser.

During his speech announcing the second-generation Tesla Roadster, Musk said he wants it to serve as the final nail in the coffin for ICE vehicles, hence why such lofty performance targets have been set. If they’re all achieved, it could very well represent the future of performance cars.

Unsurprisingly, the second-gen Tesla Roadster will be more expensive than its predecessor. In fact, the base price will start at $200,000 with a $50,000 reservation required. For true die-hard Tesla enthusiasts, a Roadster Founders Series will be available, starting at $250,000.